Sea Breeze & Take It All Away
by singingtothewind
Summary: Two one-shots. The first is Katniss/Gale, the second is Katniss/Peeta. Major CF and THG spoilers. Hurt/Comfort/Tragedy/Romance. R&R. The first one-shot is more K plus, the second is more leaning towards T.
1. Sea Breeze

**Here is a little Katniss/Gale fic. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games trilogy.**

I sit at the table, staring out the window. I am watching District Four, the fishing district, whiz by. The ocean spreads out before the hovercraft, the waves crashing onto the rocky shore. I breathe in, pretending I am there at the beach, letting the sea breeze wash over me.

"Katniss." I turn around. I find Gale looking at me, his brow furrowed.

"Gale," I say flatly. I haven't had a real conversation with him since he told me that my home, District Twelve, had been obliterated by the Capitol. I know it's not his fault, but I just couldn't talk to him, afraid he would spew out more horrible things.

"We should talk, Katniss."

I nod. "I suppose we should."

He walks towards me cautiously, taking a seat opposite me. He stares out of the window for one second, then fixes his gaze on me.

"I didn't mean to upset you. You know that."

I nod. "I know, Gale. I just...it was too much to take in after..." I stop. I don't want to be reminded of the conversation I had with Haymitch, Finnick, and Plutarch.

"I just didn't want to keep you in the dark about it."

We sit in silence for the next few moments, the both us staring down at District Four.

"What was it like." My voice is barely audible.

Gale looks at me. "What?"

"District Twelve...being firebombed. What was it like?" My voice rises, despite the tears threatening to escape my eyes.

Gale doesn't lie to me. "It was a nightmare. People...people screaming, dying-" I flinch at his words "everything going to ruins. It...it was like the world was ending."

The tears fall.

"Katniss." Gale reaches over, putting his hand on my cheek. "It's not your-"

"Yes it is." I stand up abruptly, my voice breaking. "It's my fault. And don't you dare say it's not, Gale!" I stand by the window, gazing out at the sea crashing onto the large boulders.

I flinch as he puts his hand on my shoulder. "Katniss." He gently puts his hand on my chin, twisting my face to look into his gray eyes. "This is not, never has, never _will_ be your fault. You know who's fault it is? The Capitol's."

I shake my head. "Gale-"

"It's the Capitol's fault you were in that arena twice. It's the Capitol's fault Prim's name was called at the reaping. It's the Capitol's fault we even need to _have_ a rebellion. It's the Capitol's fault Peeta's not here with us right now."

I flinch at the sound of Peeta's name. I shake as I remember Haymitch telling me that the Capitol took him. A sob escapes my chest as I imagine him in a prison being tortured for information. Information about me.

Gale wraps his arms around me. I cry into his chest. But not just for Peeta. For all the tributes who died in every single Hunger Games. I cry for all the people who starved to death in District Twelve. I cry for my father and Gale's father, who were both blasted to bits in the mines. I cry for everyone who had to suffer at the hands of the Capitol.

Finally, I calm down. I bring my face from his chest, not looking at Gale out of embarrassment. I wipe the tears from my face, and stare out the window.

"We'll set things right, Catnip. We will. I promise you."

I stare at my friend, at the determination on his face. Gale's moment has come; after years of cursing the Capitol, he can finally do something that will help take them down. I look at my friend, and think on how much he's changed since I first met him. I think on how much I need him, now that all of Panem is depending on me. I need his warmth, his comfort, his intelligence. I need my Gale.

"I'm sorry," I blurt out.

"For what?" He creases his eyebrows.

"For..." I cannot bring myself to finish the sentence. He would dismiss it anyway.

I say something else. "When we face the Capitol, we'll be a team. Like always."

A smile plays at his lips. "Like always." I smile back.

This time, it's me who leans in to kiss him. I wrap my hands around his neck, while he sets his hand at my waist. I deepen the kiss, twisting my lips this way and that, only feeling Gale, wanting Gale, seeing Gale. I feel a stirring in my chest, a warmth sprout through my body as he sets one hand on my cheek and deepens the kiss even more.

Too soon, we separate. My hands are still wrapped around his neck, while his hand is set at my waist again.

"Just...just hold me Gale. Don't let go," I whisper, closing my eyes.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he answers setting his forehead against mine.

We stand there for what feels like hours, holding each other. I open my eyes. I look out the window, down at the seagulls flying towards the sea.

**I'm going to be putting up a Katniss/Peeta one-shot tomorrow (probably). As you can see, I don't really know who I want Katniss to end up with. I'm neutral. I don't even think I want Katniss to end up with anyone at all...**

**I hope you enjoyed, and please review! =D**

**-singingtothewind**


	2. Take It All Away

**I've always wondered what would've happened if Katniss hadn't thought of the berries sooner. I turned this into a Katniss/Peeta one-shot. I should say "enjoy", but it's kind of depressing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games trilogy.**

"You can't kill yourself, Peeta," I say as I desperately plaster the bandages back onto his bleeding leg.

"Katniss, it's what I want."

"You're not leaving me here alone," I say.

"Katniss, listen to me." He pulls me to my feet. The bandages fall to the ground, letting even more blood squirt onto the grass.

"We both know they have to have a victor."

"I know." I look into his eyes. They tell me something horrible.

"You do know what that means, Katniss?" He looks at me, sadness on his face.

"No."

"_Katniss_."

I shake my head, realizing what he means. "I_ can't_ kill you Peeta."

"You have to, Katniss. I'm dying anyway," he says, gesturing to the blood on the grass. What a kick the Capitol must be getting out of this.

I shake my head vigorously. "No Peeta."

"What other alternative is there?" he askes, putting his hands on my shoulders. I look into his eyes, realizing...there _is_ no other alternative.

I think of nothing that can save us both. If he kills me, he might still die anyway from his wounds. Panem will look on him as a liar, protecting me one moment then killing me the next. He will never let me kill myself. If we both kill ourselves, our families, our district would be in turmoil. The citizens of the Capitol would be furious. Nothing good would come out of it.

I don't know what else to do.

"I can't kill you, Peeta." My voice breaks.

He kisses me on the forehead. "I'll die...die anyway, Katniss. At least you'll go home. At least District Twelve will have a victor."

Tears fall from my cheeks. I cannot lose the boy with the bread. "There has to be another way, Peeta-"

"Katniss, there isn't. Just kill me." He backs away from me. There is nothing left for me to do. I look down at my feet, pretending I am back in the woods in District Twelve, far away from here.

"Katniss." I look up. Peeta's eyes are pleading with me to do the deed. He looks weak; he is growing pale and he is shaking. His leg is soaked in blood, and he is surrounded by a pool of it. He will die very soon. Painfully. An arrow through the heart would be better, less painful.

"Kill me Katniss."He bores his eyes into mine. I cannot refuse him. He won't let me.

Slowly, I pick up my bow and arrow. In one second, my arrow is notched at his heart.

"Peeta...I..." Tears run down my cheeks.

"I love you, Katniss."

The arrow pierces his heart.

I drop my bow and run towards him. His chest is now drenched in blood. He coughs more of it up, his eyes glassy.

I put his head in my lap. "Peeta! Stay with me!" Tears flow down my cheeks.

"Peeta!" I kiss his lips. "I'm sorry...so sorry..."

He looks at me, and tries to smile.

The cannon fires.

"PEETA!" I yell. I am crying now, crying so hard I cannot breathe. _What have I done?_ I think. I have killed my friend. I have killed the boy who did _everything_ to protect me. I killed the boy who could charm the most depressed person on the planet. I have killed the boy with the bread.

The trumpets blare. I cry harder, putting my hands to Peeta's cold cheeks.

"I am pleased to present the victor of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen! The tribute of District Twelve!" I hear crying from the speakers. A few cheers. Boos. The Capitol is not happy with my last choice in the arena. District Twelve is not happy. I am not happy.

Two hovercrafts arrive; one to carry me away, and one to carry Peeta's lifeless body away. I move to lean against his chest, weeping even harder. I am disgusted with myself at killing him, heartbroken at his death.

I wrap my arms around him. I frown as I feel something hurting my waist. I look down, and see a small pouch at my belt. Dumbfounded, I unzip it, finding a clump of berries.

Poisonous berries. Nightlock.

Nausea washes over me as I think on how this could have saved him. How if I had pulled them out, remembered them sooner, we both could have lived, if we had pretended we were to both eat the berries. The Capitol would've looked ridiculous for letting us die. I feel like throwing up as I reflect on how stupid I was to forget these berries, and to not even try letting Peeta kill me. Maybe he _could _have lived. If I had only tried.

I stand up, and run around the Cornucopia, sobbing and yelling and cursing the Capitol for making me get to this point. I stomp at the ground, sobbing, ignoring the trumpets still blaring. I want to die. I want to die. Nothing stops me.

As I turn away from the Cornucopia, I throw my arms out, yelling at the stars to kill me. To let me be with my father and Peeta Mellark.

I do not even register the tranquilizer piercing my neck.

**Ugh, I'm about to cry right now.**

**How was it? Let me know in a review!**


End file.
